[śak-uni] 1 A bird; taruśakunikuraṃgān maithilī yānapuṣyat U. 3. 25; Ms. 12. 63.

2 A vulture, kite or eagle.

3 A cock.

4 N. of a son of Subala, king of Gāndhāra and brother of Gāndhārī, wife of Dhṛtarāṣṭra; he was thus the maternal uncle of Duryodhana whom he assisted in many of his wicked schemes to exterminate the Pāṇ- ḍavas. The name is now usual- ly applied to an old wicked-minded relative whose counsels...